THE SCIENTIFIC EQUITATION 



point of the medial plane, must dispose its legs in 

 the following manner: The right front leg is the 

 chief point of support, since it is nearer the center; 

 but the left leg, since it is farther away from the 

 center, travels the longer path. The right hind leg 

 has to do more work than the left, since in addition 

 to supporting its share of the weight, it does more 

 than its share in driving the body forward. 



It follows from this that at walk and trot the 

 proper effects for the volte are a very limited flexion 

 of the head to the left, pressure of the rider's right 

 leg close behind the girth, and pressure of the left 

 leg farther back, to keep the horse's left hind leg on 

 the circular line. At the gallop, on the contrary, 

 the flexion of the head is to the right, to unload the 

 right front leg and allow it to gain more ground 

 than the left. The effects of the legs are, however, 

 exactly the same as for the diagonal gaits. The 

 rider's right leg maintains the gallop to the right by 

 its stronger effect on the horse's right hind leg, 

 while his left leg holds the rear limbs in the circle. 



Now, the walk and trot are movements made in 

 diagonal. Why, then, ask a creature, which nat- 

 urally and by instinct moves in diagonal, to turn 

 by lateral effects? Fillis himself had doubts con- 

 cerning the propriety of this method of changing 

 direction ; for after considering the question he adds, 

 "The opinion of Baucher has prevailed and the 

 lateral effect has been accepted." But in the lateral 

 effect, the right rein flexes the horse's neck to the 



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